Cop Watch

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Katrina Survivor Alleges Police Brutality

Jonathan Garner and his family braved the storm in New Orleans and then stayed behind to help others evacuate. And it was when he was lending a helping hand that he says he was assaulted by the very people there to protect and serve.

Garner says in the days after the storm, he located an old grocery cart and spent hours wheeling elderly people safely to higher ground. But when the evacuation busses rolled into town, Garner says he ran to find his family before they got split up.

With no warning, Garner says a guardman who had been watching him help people all day turned his gun on him.

"He just hit me in the chest with the M-16," Garner recalls. He says the officer then demanded he get on the ground and threatened to sic his police dog on Garner. He says before he could get the a out of his mouth, the dog attacked. It tore at his body and legs before the officer called him off.